Ceiling nailer



Oct. 23, 1956 o. M. WIDENER 2,767,399

CEILING NAILER Filed oct. 5, 195s gg Gwen Mafon WMe/7er 70 I N V EN TOR.

United States Patent O CEILING Owen Maston Widener, `Corpus Christi,Tex.

Application' October 5, 1953, Serial N0. 384,140

3 Claims; (Cla 1 47);

This invention relates 'to the` classof tools and more particularly to aceiling nailere'specially"adaptedfor use in securing building materialsto ahorizontal overhead surface.

The primary object `of the present invention" resides in the provisionof means for facilitating; the attaching of large sheets of buildingmaterial such as those commonly called sheet rock, rock lath,plasterboard orthe' like. These building materials are comparativelylarge-in size often sold in sizes of 4I x 6" or"4"x8" and," therefore,are of considerable Weight andv .extremely unwieldy.

A further object of this invention resides inthe provi sion of means fornailingoverheadwith'out thenecessity of utilizinga ladderV orscalfolding sin'ce' the device" is of suicient length as to enable theuser to stand on the floor while nailing overhead structures therebyeliminating the injuries which occur from falling oli ladders orscatfolds and the like.

The concept of the present invention provides means for enabling thenails used to fasten the plasterboard to the overhead support structureto be driven without requiring any diiiieult or acrobatical maneuveringby the utilizer.

The device :comprising the present invention especially features a diskadjustably secured to the housing which forms the means for adjustingthe stroke of the rod comprising the .striking portion of this deviceand further includes means for adjusting the depth to which the nailwill be countersunk.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a ceiling nailer that is strong and durable, `simple inconstruction and manufacture, capable of being readily produced out ofvarious materials, and which is easy to use.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the ceiling nailer comprising thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as taken along the planeof line 2 2 of Figure l and illustrating the manner in which the footmember limits the penetration of ceiling material by the casing to apreset depth to control depth of countersinking;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line3 3 in Figure 2 illustrating the means for attaching the driving springin an adjusted re1ationship;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line4 4 in Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals designate similar 2,767,399 patented Oct. 23, 1956partsthrough theA various views, reference numeral 10 generallydesignates an elongated hollow' tubularcasing having an externallythreaded endl 12 which is threadedly secured in the end wall 14 of anelongated tubular housing 16, the housing 16`being of greater ydiameterand length than that of the casing 10. A lock nut 18 or the like is usedto held the casing 10 in secure relationship relative to the housing 16.Slidable Within the casing 10 and the housing 16 is anelongated rod 20having a collar 22 attached thereto, thecollar 22 being received in thehousing 16.

A coil spring 24 concentric with the `rod"2`0 biases'the end wall 14 andthe collar 22.

The lower' end of'the rodV 20` has a spherical handle 26 attachedthereto by means of a screw/"28 which errgages a recess 36 in the rod 20and extends through an aperture as at 32 in a socket portion 34 formedin the spherical handle 26'.` The screw` 28 also serves to hold one endof al coil spring 34 to therod 20, the other end of the coil' springWhich is'concentric with the rod 20 being secured in a disk 36. Thespring 34 has an end portion 35 which may be slidable in the disk 36 andterminates in a limit stop 37. The disk 36 is held in. an adjustedrelationship by means of set screws 38 and 40 which are threadedlyengaged in' the disk 36` and'which` extends through elongated slots 42and 44 formed in the housing 16. rlhe disk 36 may be 'adjustablypositionedto raise and lower the upperv end of thespring" Strand` thusprovides means for adjusting the spring 34.

The upper end of the casing 10 is externally threaded as at 50 forreception of ran internally threaded member 52 having a foot member 54attached] thereto, the foot member being in the form of an outwardlyextending nger. A lock nut 56 or other suitable means is used tolockingly adjustably secure the member 52 on the threaded end of thecasing 10.

In operation, a nail is inserted into the open end of the casing 10 andthe handle 26 is pulled back compressing spring 34. The handle whenreleased causes the rod 2t) to act as a striking member to drive thenail to the building materials. The foot member 54 engages theundersurface of the building material and in view of the fact that themember S2 is adjustable on the casing 10 the nail will be countersunkdepending upon. the arrangement of parts of the member 52 relative tothe casing 1t) even though the member 52 has no control over the travelof the rod 20. To insure that the nail will be sufficiently countersunkso that when the external surface of the building materials are finishedutilizing a suitable plaster compound or the like the head of the nailwill be suciently covered and hence invisible, it is merely necessary toadjust the member 52 and lock nut S0 as well as the lock nut 18. It isto be recognized that if the foot member 54 were to be lowered so thatits upper surface was below the upper edge of the casing 10, the casing10 would penetrate and weaken the building material when the foot memberwas engaged with the building member thus enabling a nail to bethereafter driven and countersunk to approximately the depth ofpenetration by the casing A modified form of the invention is shown inFigure 5 and employs two rod sections 74 and 78. The collar 22 in thisembodiment has a threaded member 70 welded thereto for reception of thethreaded end 72 of a rod section 74 which is threadedly secured in themember 70 and held by lock nut 76 so as to be detachably secured to therod section 78 which has the collar 22 attached thereto.

. Hence, as can be readily understood the utilization of numerousmodifications will readily occur to those skilled Y in the art, it isnot desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown anddescribed, and 'accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A ceiling nailer comprising an elongated hollow casing, a hollowhousing, said casing being secured to an upper end wall of said hollowhousing, an elongated rod slidably disposed in said casing rand saidhousing and having a collar secured thereto, resilient means biasingsaid end wall and said collar, a spring secured to one end of said rodand extending into said housing, said one end of said rod extendingbeyond said housing, and means adjustably securing the other end of saidspring to said housing, and a foot member threadedly adjustably securedto said casing at a section of said casing remote from said housing.

2. A ceiling nailer comprising Aan elongated hollow casing, a hollowhousing, said casing being secured to an upper end wall of said hollowhousing, an elongated rod slidably disposed in said casing and saidhousing and having a collar secured thereto, resilient means biasingsaid end wall and said collar, a spring secured to one end of said rodand extending into said housing, said one end of said rod extendingbeyond said housing, said means adjustably securing the other end ofsaid spring to said housing, said housing having elongated slotstherein, said last recited means including a disk, and fastenersextending through said slots engaging said disk and holding said disk inan adjusted position, said spring being attached to said disk, and meansfor adjusting the depth of countersinking at the section of said casingremote from said housing.

3. A ceiling mailer comprising an elongated hollow casing, a hollowhousing, said casing being secured to an upper end wall of said hollowhousing, an elongated rod slidably disposed in said casing and saidhousing and having a collar secured thereto, resilient means biasingsaid end wall and said collar, a spring secured to one end of said; rod,and extending into said housing, said one end of said rod extendingbeyond said housing, and means adjustably lsecuring the other end ofsaid spring to said housing, said housing having elongated slotstherein, said last recited means including a disk, and fastenersextending through said slots engaging said disk and holding said disk inan adjusted position, said spring being attached to said disk, said rodhaving an enlarged spherical handle attached thereto, and a foot memberthreadedly adjustably lsecured to said casing at a section of saidcasing remote from said housing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,152,260 Anderson Aug. 3l, 1915 `1,155,724 Harnly Oct. 5, 19152,475,936 Allen July 12, 1949 Y FOREIGN PATENTS 447,828 Germany Aug. 1,1927 156,918 Austria Sept. 11, 1939

